Southwest Travel Benefits "Suspended" - Awesome

[quadro]

As others have pointed out, UPS tried to get re-classified under the RLA for years...and failed. Logically, FedEx should be classified in the same category as UPS.

I think you'll find that part of the reason they failed was because several years before they tried to get RLA status, they didn't want it. They wanted to stay under NLRA because of something to do with taxes (excise tax maybe, can't quite remember) that would have cost them more under RLA. Having done that, they were essentially told by the courts that they can't have it both ways. They wanted NLRA so they are stuck with it.
In other words, the logic isn't quite so simple and obvious as many would like it to be.

 

[Slobberman]

Its not fair.Why does Fedex get to be classified under the RLA and UPS not?Can someone explain to me the difference?In my opinion this is clearly special treatment and I dont know how they are getting away with it..

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Its not fair.Why does Fedex get to be classified under the RLA and UPS not?Can someone explain to me the difference?In my opinion this is clearly special treatment and I dont know how they are getting away with it..

Do yourself (and us) a favor and do a search on this topic either here at BC or at your choice of other search engines. You will find all of the information that you could possibly want (and then some) on the subject. Have fun!

 

[Testicular Fortitude]

Then Fred has some explaining to do. Check out the guys picture.

Now come on you would not put it past Fred would you.He has been screwing people for years

 

[Testicular Fortitude]

Good points. The crews never liked jumpseaters that much unless they were attractive females. True airline employees understand interline etiquette and policies, quite unlike Meth (PCP?) Man on that Southwest flight. Keeping the interline benefits are just another way that Fred "proves" we're an airline when we're not. If we go union, the flight benefits will disappear immediately. No further need to pretend.

If we go union we would be able to afford airline tickets and would not have to fly standby.I have flown standby and only once out of seven times I did not have to wait for a seat.

 

[quadro]

If we go union we would be able to afford airline tickets and would not have to fly standby.I have flown standby and only once out of seven times I did not have to wait for a seat.

And I suppose it's FedEx's fault that the airlines are selling too many tickets and filling their flights?

And I'm curious how you know that if FedEx goes union that the contract negotiated would involve a pay raise?

 

[olcc]

And I suppose it's FedEx's fault that the airlines are selling too many tickets and filling their flights?

And I'm curious how you know that if FedEx goes union that the contract negotiated would involve a pay raise?

A contract would force FedEx to pay market wages. I guarantee you they would increase based on the fact that both UPS drivers and postal workers make more than Couriers. Consider our work somewhere between the two, and you do the math.

There's this incredible (and irresponsible) fantasy that FedEx can't afford to pay any more than they do now--that even giving us our raises this year would have pushed us over the edge. Give me a break! FedEx is an extremely profitable company. In our meeting last month, the senior told us the average yield (profit) on an international shipment (average of letters and packages) is almost $50. How many of those do you pick up in a day? If the answer is three or more, chances are you've paid almost your whole day's wages.

Look at all they provided in the past--wages, benefits, pension, etc.--when they were a much smaller company. Are you telling me with a straight face that any increase in wages would be unsustainable for the corporation? This is the sort of misinformation that prevents any concessions to the hourlies. How about a little appreciation for the employees that bring in 65% of the revenue for the WHOLE corporation?

 

[Broke]

UPS does not run their entities separately like Fedex therefore they cannot be classified under the RLA.Ive always thought that having all the divisions of Fedex run separate was a dumb idea but now I see why it might be worth it.Any move is a good move if you can keep the greedy Teamsters out.TRUST ME!

It should not matter if the entities are seperate or not. I deliver packages out of a Delivery truck, and have no contact with a plane. I dont' care if it's ground freight or air freight we deliver, we should be classified according to what we do. If we have direct contact with the airline we should be classified under the rla, if we deliver packages out of a truck or van, we should be classified under the nlra. Should be pretty simple logic.

 

[Broke]

And I suppose it's FedEx's fault that the airlines are selling too many tickets and filling their flights?

And I'm curious how you know that if FedEx goes union that the contract negotiated would involve a pay raise?

That's easy, I don't think we would agree on a contract that didn't have wage increases in it. Nice try though

 

[MrFedEx]

And I suppose it's FedEx's fault that the airlines are selling too many tickets and filling their flights?

And I'm curious how you know that if FedEx goes union that the contract negotiated would involve a pay raise?

No, it isn't the airlines fault. But it is Fred's fault that he pays us too little to just buy a discounted confirmed ticket instead of having to fly standby.

If we don't get a pay raise, what's the point? The whole issue of going union has everything to do with the fact that we have been underpaid for years while the executives of the company have steadily raised their own compensation. Even as profits skyrocketed at FedEx, they took away our pension, extended top-out times to about 15 years, and hired a slew of part-timers to cut FT hours and slash costs. Please remember that all of this happened when record profits were posted year after year.

Now that the economy has gone soft, all of the purple pansies out there want to cut poor Fred some slack while he continues to slash away at our throats with a butcher knife. When are you people going to get it? Hourlies mean NOTHING to FedEx upper management. We are just the box monkeys that deliver Fred's bread and butter. They consider us to be overpaid as it is, and would like nothing better than to cut our wages down to the level of their exalted role model (Wal-Mart).

Fred S should have been born into the Walton family (not the TV version) because he thinks just like Sam Walton did. Hire a bunch of dumb hicks, pay them peanuts so you can sell merchandise at low prices, buy all of your goods off-shore to further lower costs and export US jobs, and then fire anyone who even breathes a word about unions. Smith is trying to do the same at FedEx, and so far, we've let the SOB walk all over us without a peep.

 

[quadro]

A contract would force FedEx to pay market wages. I guarantee you they would increase based on the fact that both UPS drivers and postal workers make more than Couriers. Consider our work somewhere between the two, and you do the math.

A contract, if and when it's established, would not force FedEx to do anything they didn't agree to during negotiations. There's no guarantee of anything including even coming up with a contract. The unions and FedEx could negotiate for years before anything is resolved.

There's this incredible (and irresponsible) fantasy that FedEx can't afford to pay any more than they do now--that even giving us our raises this year would have pushed us over the edge. Give me a break! FedEx is an extremely profitable company. In our meeting last month, the senior told us the average yield (profit) on an international shipment (average of letters and packages) is almost $50. How many of those do you pick up in a day? If the answer is three or more, chances are you've paid almost your whole day's wages.

Yield is not the same thing as profit. I'm certainly no expert and definitely not a financial guru but you need to understand the difference between yield and profit. Thinking yield is profit gives you a very skewed view of finances.

Look at all they provided in the past--wages, benefits, pension, etc.--when they were a much smaller company. Are you telling me with a straight face that any increase in wages would be unsustainable for the corporation? This is the sort of misinformation that prevents any concessions to the hourlies. How about a little appreciation for the employees that bring in 65% of the revenue for the WHOLE corporation?

You mean the misinformation when one employee tells another employee that FedEx makes $50 profit on an international package? Don't take my word for things, don't take your manager's word, don't take anybody's word. Do some research so that you have all the facts and make your own decision as to what's best for you.

 

[quadro]

It should not matter if the entities are seperate or not. I deliver packages out of a Delivery truck, and have no contact with a plane. I dont' care if it's ground freight or air freight we deliver, we should be classified according to what we do. If we have direct contact with the airline we should be classified under the rla, if we deliver packages out of a truck or van, we should be classified under the nlra. Should be pretty simple logic.

If I'm not mistaken, if you call an airline to make a reservation, the person you speak with is covered under RLA but they have no contact with a plane.

 

[quadro]

No, it isn't the airlines fault. But it is Fred's fault that he pays us too little to just buy a discounted confirmed ticket instead of having to fly standby.

How is not the airlines fault? If it's not the airlines fault that they've cut routes and capacities and are filling more of their planes, then whose fault could it possibly be? And to say that it's Fred's fault that employees cannot buy a confirmed ticket is ludicrous. Personally, I fly confirmed 99% of the time I fly and I fly enough to have elite status on at least 2 airlines. I can fly east coast to west coast for less than $250 round trip. For me, there's no point risking flying standby to save ~$100.
Also, if employees cannot afford to fly confirmed, how do they afford the Lexus, or the BMW, or whatever upscale car they choose to drive? I see my coworkers driving these cars all the time. I also see people driving the biggest piece of junk on the road. People manage their money differently and all have different situations. If someone cannot afford a confirmed ticket, it's certainly not because of Fred.

 

[quadro]

That's easy, I don't think we would agree on a contract that didn't have wage increases in it. Nice try though

I agree that it wouldn't make sense to agree to something that didn't include a wage increase but that doesn't mean that FedEx is just going to say OK. It could take years before anything is agreed to and neither you nor anyone else can guarantee that there would be an increase.

 

[Slobberman]

If I'm not mistaken, if you call an airline to make a reservation, the person you speak with is covered under RLA but they have no contact with a plane.

Yes you are mistaken.

 

[MrFedEx]

How is not the airlines fault? If it's not the airlines fault that they've cut routes and capacities and are filling more of their planes, then whose fault could it possibly be? And to say that it's Fred's fault that employees cannot buy a confirmed ticket is ludicrous. Personally, I fly confirmed 99% of the time I fly and I fly enough to have elite status on at least 2 airlines. I can fly east coast to west coast for less than $250 round trip. For me, there's no point risking flying standby to save ~$100.
Also, if employees cannot afford to fly confirmed, how do they afford the Lexus, or the BMW, or whatever upscale car they choose to drive? I see my coworkers driving these cars all the time. I also see people driving the biggest piece of junk on the road. People manage their money differently and all have different situations. If someone cannot afford a confirmed ticket, it's certainly not because of Fred.

My point is that we are underpaid, and that is most certainly the fault of Fred. My co-workers who drive BMW's and the like either don't own homes or have a spouse with a high-paying job. Most of us drive very plain Jane cars and have a modest lifestyle because we can't afford anything else. I don't know how long you've worked for FedEx but our real wage is much less than it was 20 years ago, when it actually was a decent job. Our pay and benefits have lagged far behind the cost-of-living, yet you are still on here apologizing for FedEx.

Has Fred's pay stayed stagnant? Certainly not. Nor has that of any members of mid and upper management. How about the pilots? The answer would be no there too. Smith has picked our pockets to keep all of these folks happy...because we no longer matter and are completely disposable. Quit being such a stooge and wake up to the reality that Fred is not your friend. He's an enemy that needs to be beaten into submission via a union. Until we go Teamster, he'll continue to do whatever he likes to us and expect us to take it like you do. Grow a set and stand-up to this tyrant, or do you like the way things are right now?

 

[Ricochet1a]

I agree that it wouldn't make sense to agree to something that didn't include a wage increase but that doesn't mean that FedEx is just going to say OK. It could take years before anything is agreed to and neither you nor anyone else can guarantee that there would be an increase.

There is this little event called a STRIKE that tends to get the attention of executives real quick like. If the employees of Express ever do manage to get the collective cajones to form a union, we'll definately will have the willingness to pull the trigger on Fred and strike if he doesn't bargain in good faith.

You keep on trying to equivocate on every issue that hourly employees are not happy about. We're paid just fine, our working conditions are just peachy, we have something called a pension so we should have a smile on our face, we have a job so we shouldn't complain about not getting the pay raise that was previously promises. BULL


You are adding nothing to the debate. You are a parrot for FedEx's corporate line. If any of the hourly employees of Express want that, we can stay after work and tune in FedEx TV and get a belly full of propaganda straight out of Memphis.

I'll guarantee this. If the Couriers, RTDs and Mechanics are able to form a union and get certified under either RLA or NLRB rules, there will be one of two things happen within 6 months. A contract will be signed that gives the employees more than they have now or a strike followed by a contract giving the employees more than they have now, will occur. I can't predict which in the unlikely event that the employees do in fact certify a union.

The issue ISN'T one of FedEx engaging in stall tactics is a union is indeed certified. The issue is whether the employees of Express will become so sick of Fred's games, that we do manage to certify a union. This is why the fight to get the RLA pulled.

Take your carefully crafted equivocations over to bailout. If you think things are so damn good at Express, why not just identify yourself so that every reader can really know your angle. It is individuals like yourself within Express that make it such irritating place to work. I'm not going to paint a smiley face on the fecal material that has been thrown at us and call it a gift from Fred. I'm going to do my best to get other employees to realize what they have lost and are going to lose in the next few years and get them to act. If like minded employees are sucessful in getting organized, this line of fecal material distribution will end at FedEx.

The fundamental change with a union is that we would no longer have to accept what is so graciously given to us out of the big house in Memphis. We will change to having a voice in our destiny able to negotiate for our compensation levels. We will be able to say a word that none of us are able to say under the current conditions at FedEx: NO!

 

[SmithBarney]

And I suppose it's FedEx's fault that the airlines are selling too many tickets and filling their flights?

And I'm curious how you know that if FedEx goes union that the contract negotiated would involve a pay raise?

Having worked at both UPS(~2yrs ago) and currently at FedEx, I feel the current Top rate is suitable for the work we do, unfortunately most couriers are still "in progression" or whatever term we use, and newer hires like myself would take 10-15 years to top out with
perfect review scores.

I think the current top rate with included benefits would be perfect.

 

[olcc]

I'm certainly no expert and definitely not a financial guru but you need to understand the difference between yield and profit. Thinking yield is profit gives you a very skewed view of finances.

If you want to argue semantics, go ahead and fight that fight, I'm not going to waste my time. International (and FO) shipments are the two most profitable products Express offers, period.

So quadro (or Artee, or whatever name you go by this week), please do us all a favor and enlighten us as to why you're here at all. You add nothing to the dialogue that we don't hear every day at work and you seem to have no desire to improve the working conditions at FedEx. If you think you are going to quell any discontent with your inane posts, you are wrong again.

And for chrissakes, stop posting four times in a row.

 

[Slobberman]

If you want to argue semantics, go ahead and fight that fight, I'm not going to waste my time. International (and FO) shipments are the two most profitable products Express offers, period.

So quadro (or Artee, or whatever name you go by this week), please do us all a favor and enlighten us as to why you're here at all. You add nothing to the dialogue that we don't hear every day at work and you seem to have no desire to improve the working conditions at FedEx. If you think you are going to quell any discontent with your inane posts, you are wrong again.

And for chrissakes, stop posting four times in a row.

I second that!